The long audition is just about over.

After weeks of skates, split squads, hopeful cameos, and tough conversations, the Philadelphia Flyers are finally down to something resembling the real thing. Tonight at Xfinity Mobile Arena, in a preseason matchup with the New York Islanders, Philadelphia will ice what is essentially a “dress rehearsal squad”—the closest we’ve seen yet to the Opening Night roster.

“I wouldn’t say it’s one hundred percent in stone,” Tocchet admitted, “but, you know, the majority, I would say. Most teams at this point, in the last couple games, you start to try to chunk things together.”

It’s the part of camp where the experimentation gets tighter, the pairings more deliberate, and the pressure higher. For Tocchet and his new staff, it’s less about evaluating the fringe and more about solidifying the foundation.

Line Chemistry on Trial

Perhaps the most fascinating subplot tonight is how Tocchet chooses to deploy his lines. Through camp and exhibition play, combinations have been shuffled like cards—some out of necessity, some out of curiosity. Now, with only days left before the games begin to matter, the Flyers are trying to land on trios and pairs that can stick.

Rick Tocchet on Foerster - Cates - Brink: “I heard a lot about that line last year, chemistry-wise…You ask for something, they do it pretty detailed.”

Said he’s “really excited” to see them play together for the first time this preseason.

— Siobhan Nolan (@SGNolan) September 29, 2025

“I’ve been here a short time,” Tocchet said. “You’re still looking for chemistry. There’s still some spots that you’re trying to figure out—can this guy play with this guy? …You have to go with your gut sometimes. You talk to coaches and say, hey, try this, try that. It might not work, it might work. We gotta go through this process, especially for us new coaches.”

That process takes center stage tonight. For all the talk of individuals winning jobs, what matters just as much is how the pieces fit together. The Flyers are not just building a roster—they’re building a structure.

No Rodrigo Abols: Omen or Rest?

One name notably absent from tonight’s lineup is Rodrigo Abols, who has been the Flyers’ ironman of camp. The Latvian forward has played in every preseason game so far, logging five games in nine nights—a workload that suggested, at minimum, the Flyers wanted every last bit of data on him before deciding.

On the surface, his scratch could simply be rest. Abols has done everything asked of him: dependable shifts, steady play, and even a timely goal against Boston. But the timing is conspicuous. Dress rehearsals are typically reserved for the players penciled into the show. Abols not being in the cast tonight hints that, for all his hard work, he may be the odd man out when the roster tightens.

Enter Jett Luchanko. The 19-year-old has not lit camp on fire, but the organization continues to lean into his potential. He’s young, he’s skilled, and his upside is undeniable. And while Abols represents the steady “now,” Luchanko embodies the tantalizing “next.”

It wouldn’t be the first time a veteran-like option was squeezed out to make room for youth. It wouldn’t even be the wrong decision. But it does underline the cruel arithmetic of camp: sometimes, doing everything right still isn’t enough.

Ersson’s Net, Ersson’s Test

In goal, Sam Ersson will get the full 60 minutes tonight—a chance to both sharpen his game and remind the Flyers why he’s their present and future between the pipes. His preseason has been a mixed bag, though not always by his own doing. Defensive lapses in front of him have skewed numbers and perceptions, but Tocchet has been careful not to place unnecessary blame.

Tonight, though, is about rhythm. Ersson will see pucks in waves against a structured Islanders team. He’ll face traffic, screens, and enough grinding shifts to mimic the regular season. And he’ll do it without a safety net—no mid-game handoff, no tandem rotation.

This is his crease for the night, his stage, his reminder to the staff and the fans alike that he’s ready to shoulder the load.

Why This Game Matters

Preseason games are rarely circled on calendars, but this one carries a different weight. It’s not just about another 60 minutes of exhibition hockey—it’s about getting a look into the group that sets the tone on Opening Night.

The Flyers under Tocchet are trying to establish themselves as more than just a team in transition. They want to be structured, relentless, and competitive on nights when the legs aren’t there. They want to build habits that travel. And they want to lock in a roster that feels less like a placeholder and more like a plan.

Tonight won’t answer every question. But it will give us our clearest glimpse yet of what Tocchet and his staff believe this team should look like when the lights go up for real.

The cuts that follow may be painful. The roles that emerge may surprise. But for now, Flyers fans finally get to look at a lineup and think: this is (almost) it.